


Star Crossed

by PagetPaulson



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-01
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-04-18 13:16:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4707317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PagetPaulson/pseuds/PagetPaulson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She'd never been a bad girl before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was colder than she thought it would be. Who knew that in the month of May it wouldn't reach above forty-five degrees?

Pulling her sweater tighter around her body, the brunette girl, or young woman as of last week, smiled her friendliest smile to those who were calling her name, and she gave a gentle wave to the cameras that were following her.

"Emily! Emily, what are you doing out today?"

"New haircut? Looks great on you!"

"How's the ex?"

"Emily, can you give us a smile?"

She grinned.

She was America's sweetheart.

A teenager watched as the beautiful girl came walking down the street, and she quickly stepped away from the side of the road and onto the sidewalk. "Emily? Can I have a picture?"

The twenty-one year old quickly nodded her head, smiling down to the younger girl. "What's your name?"

"Roberta."

Smiling for the picture, the actress squeezed the teenager's hand. "You look beautiful, Roberta." She let her have a quick hug before she followed her publicist down the street and into their intended building, immediately being ushered into the elevator so the people in the lobby wouldn't stop to stare at her.

Emily flipped a few curls over her shoulder and relaxed in the warmth of the elevator. "What's his name again?"

"Aaron," her publicist nodded, never looking up from her emails. "He hasn't been in anything so far, but from what the company has seen, he has amazing talent."

The brunette smiled to the elevator attendant before getting off. "Martha!" she laughed, immediately hugging the older woman. She had been her agent since she was just twelve years old, the woman who had been like a mother to her for all her life, and she took the coffee from her that Martha had gotten. "Thank you so much! What are you doing here?"

Martha kissed the twenty-one year old's head and led her down the hall. "I'm Aaron's manager."

"Really?" Emily beamed up to the blond. "So you're going to be around for the movie?"

"Every second of the day, sweetums."

She high fived the older woman and gave a laugh, not noticing her publicist trying to rush her into the nearest conference room. "Do you want to go for dinner later? Daddy told me about this great place off of fifth street."

"Of course," Martha grinned. "But I do have to spend the day with Aaron to go over the script."

Emily shook her head, letting the older woman lead her into the conference room. "I have to go over it too," the brunette said as she sipped her coffee. "Why don't we all go to dinner? My treat."

Martha peppered the young woman's cheek with kisses until she squealed. "This is why I love you."

"Emily? Sweetheart, come meet your costar."

Emily nodded and quickly shoved her phone into her pocket, making her way across the room. This was her first grownup role - risqué, to be blunt - and she was a bit nervous to find out who she would be doing her scenes with. Her character was a young girl falling in love with her teacher, and she knew that a couple of moments in the movie would be different for her younger viewers, but she thought it was finally time for her to branch out in her career.

"Aaron? This is Emily," her publicist smiled softly, pushing against Emily's back. "Emily Prentiss, Aaron Hotchner."

He finally turned around, and the twenty-one year old immediately caught those hazel eyes in her brown.

He was gorgeous.

"Emily," Aaron said politely, taking her hand. "It's great to finally meet you."

Emily jerkily nodded her head. "You too! I've heard so much about you."

The older man laughed lightly. "Well it's hard not to hear about you," he nodded, gesturing to the magazine that his little brother was holding. "You're known all over the world."

She felt so embarrassed. Here she was in front of a gorgeous man, and he's heard about her only from the tabloids. "A lot of those aren't true," she was quick to correct, shaking her head at the photo of her on the cover of that magazine. "They make up almost everything."

Aaron's brow rose. "So you don't give to charity every year?" Watching her try to hide her blush with her cup of coffee, the older man smiled. "You didn't make it onto the best dressed list at every event you've ever gone to?"

Emily bit her lip. "Ok, some things are true," she chuckled, her arm bumping against his as they sat down.

Martha watched the two actors with a sharp eye, the corner of her mouth turning up when she saw her little Emily giggle the way she would with all her boyfriends. She wouldn't be surprised if they got closer over the months of filming.

She watched them offer one another a mint that sit in the bowl on the table, and she shook her head.


	2. Chapter 2

Brown eyes flickering over to the man across from her, Emily forced herself to bite the inside of her cheek. He was so handsome, and in less she herself tried to start a conversation with him or include him in one she was having with Martha, he'd just sit quietly in his seat, listening with keen ears to everything that was said.

“So what did you do for your twenty-first birthday?”

Emily’s head shot up at the sudden sound of the older man’s voice. “Oh!” she nodded, smiling awkwardly to the older actor across the table. “My father and I went to Africa.” She could tell he was surprised by the slight dilatation in his pupils.

Aaron gently nodded his head. “Africa, really? No huge bash to celebrate you being legal?”

“No,” she chuckled smally, glancing down to her dinner. “I’m not a big drinker, so we went to help the Unicef organization in Nambia for a week.”

The grin that popped onto the older man’s face had Emily’s eyes sparkling, and Martha sat back in her chair to take a look at the two. “Alright, well I think I’m going to head out.”

Emily’s head spun. “Already?”

“You and Aaron need to get to know one another,” the blond smiled, standing from her seat. “Besides, I have a mountain of contracts waiting for me back at the office.”

Letting Martha press a kiss to her hair, Emily frowned. “But I’ll see you when we start filming, right?”

Martha gave her favorite girl a high five. “Bright and early,” she winked. “Two weeks.”

Aaron watched Emily’s face fall as Martha walked away. “Martha tells me you two know each other.”

Emily took a gentle sip of her soda. “I’ve known her since I was twelve,” the twenty-one year old nodded. “She’s one of my best friends.” Realizing what she said, the brunette looked up and saw a smile on the older man’s face. “Is that strange?”

“What?”

Forcing herself not to roll her eyes, Emily shrugged and stabbed another piece of her chicken. “One of my best friends is a forty-three year old.”

Aaron saw the humiliation written on the young woman’s face and he subtly waved the waiter over. “Why would that be strange? I’d like to think of her as my friend,” he nodded, ordering two slices of cheesecake for them. “Why shouldn’t you?”

Emily bit down into her bottom lip. “It’s difficult to make friends when you grow up in the industry.”

“Do you have genuine ones?”

The twenty-one year old grinned. “I do.”

Aaron nodded, smiling along with his costar when the dessert arrived. “Hopefully I’ll be a new one.”

She stopped, her fork cold in her hand as her eyes flickered up to his.

He was sweet.

She took a small bite of her cheesecake and smiled involuntarily, quickly washing the thick treat down with a gulp of soda. “Wow.”

Aaron grinned at how big her smile was. “Good?”

“Really good,” Emily agreed. She licked the remainder she felt on her lip and looked up to her new friend. “So what else have you been in?”

“Actually nothing. Well no movies,” he nodded to the younger woman. “I’ve done mostly off Broadway work with a few of my close friends.”

Emily’s eyes brightened. “Really?”

Aaron immediately nodded his head, sitting up in his chair. “You seem surprised. What? You don’t think I can sing and do a pirouette?”

The twenty-one year old bit into her bottom lip. “You do ballet?”

“Ok, no,” he laughed, watching as the younger girl bent forward in her seat as she laughed. “I know that term from my sister. But seriously, I have been in a couple of plays.”

“That’s really interesting. I wish I could be on Broadway.”

Aaron frowned. “Well everyone knows you can sing. I bet they’d give you a role right off the bat.”

Emily smiled along with the older man and watched with her dark eyes as he took another bite of his dessert. “So how old are you?” Seeing his brow raise, Emily’s shoulders shrugged and had her curls falling behind her. “I mean, you’re obviously older than me but you’re not actually old.”

Aaron smirked at the beautiful actress. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she snorted.

Taking another bite of his cheesecake, Aaron flipped his phone down on the table so he wouldn’t see it light up again. “I’m actually twenty-eight.”

Emily’s eyes widened slightly. “Really?”

“Is that a problem?”

She realized her jaw had dropped, and America’s sweetheart immediately clammed up and sat up in her seat. “No,” she coughed, her hand to her chest when she felt a piece of her dessert stick there. “No, not at all. I’m just kind of surprised.”

Aaron slowly nodded his head. “It’s kind of a big age difference,” he agreed, “but I think it makes sense. The teacher/student relationship.”

Emily blushed. “That makes sense.”

“Does it make you uncomfortable?”

The twenty-one year old felt her throat thicken. “Not per say. I just haven’t done a role like this before, and it’s just all becoming really real really fast, you know?” But then she shook her head, laughing at herself for the words that echoed around their table. “That sounds so stupid.”

“Of course it doesn’t.”

Emily grimaced, looking up to the older man. “No?”

Aaron shook his head, putting his credit card in the bill before Emily even got the chance and handed it off to the waiter. “It makes sense,” he tried to console, noticing the ring on her finger. It had a cross.

A purity ring.

“I’ll do anything I can to make you the most comfortable on set, ok? You give me your boundaries and I’ll follow them to every extent.”

Emily thanked the new actor with a small smile, her dark eyes brightening at the statement.

Once the bill was paid and they were given their jackets back, Emily lightly touched the older man’s arm as they walked to the door. “You don’t have to walk me to my car. I can make it just fine.”

He watched her try to hide her gulp, and that was the first time he noticed all the paparazzi watching just outside the restaurant. Emily was afraid of the assumptions the magazines would make, and all Aaron did to acknowledge her fears was set a hand to her back. “What kind of a gentleman doesn’t walk a lady to her car?”

Emily giggled as they walked out into the cold, and she was sure the cameras caught her blushing as the pair tried to pass them by.

“Who’s the new guy?”

“You look beautiful, Emily!”

“A date only one month after Derek?”

Aaron smiled politely as he tried to brush them off.

“Keep walking,” the twenty-one year old said hastily. “My car is just at the corner.”

He felt a stranger bump into them from behind, and upon noticing it to be one of the cameramen, Aaron wrapped an arm around his female companion. “Back off, buddy.”

Emily stiffened in the older man’s hold.

“Just doing my job.”

Aaron’s jaw clenched, and he pushed the greasy man off of them. “Your job isn’t to touch her,” he growled, the flashes from the cameras invading his eyes. “Back off!”

When he whispered in her ear if everything was alright, all Emily could do was nod into his chest and keep walking.

He led her to the car and pulled open the driver’s door when he heard it unlock. “You going to be alright?”

“Just fine,” she nodded, chuckling when he blocked the cameras as best he could with his body. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Aaron closed the door for her and waited until she drove away to walk to his SUV back down toward the restaurant. Doing his best to ignore the flashes and screams from the paparazzi, Aaron hopped into his car and sped away, his eyes on the rearview mirror to see Emily’s car turning out of sight.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a few days since their first meeting, and Emily couldn't get her mind off the older man no matter how hard she tried. They had gotten together with production the next day and had done a table read with the rest of the cast they would be acting with, and after getting through everything and everything going well, the pair had gone out for another dinner together.

Once again, Aaron had paid before Emily even got the chance to see the bill.

Now they were waiting in line at the airport to board their plane.

"Favorite movie?"

Emily bit back her grin and glanced up to the ceiling to think about her answer. "What genre?"

Aaron let out a laugh. "You have a favorite for every genre?"

"You don't?"

The older man shook his head. "Ok, horror."

Emily grinned. "Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

"All that gore?"

Emily feverishly nodded her head. "The gore makes it good!" She shared in the laughter her costar started to give and elbowed him in the shoulder. "What about you?"

Giving a good few seconds of thought, the older actor elbowed his friend back and nodded. "Halloween."

"The first?"

Aaron scoffed. "Definitely the first."

Emily smiled as she sipped the orange juice she had bought from one of the stores in the airport. "Ok romantic comedy."

The twenty-eight year old's eyes widened slightly as they made their way closer to the front of the line. The entire airplane was just filled with actors and the crew from their production.

They were headed to Paris.

"I don't watch romantic comedies."

Emily rolled her eyes, letting out an exaggerated groan at the comment. "You've never watched any kind of romantic comedy in your life?" When he shook his head, she wanted to throw her orange juice all over his shirt. "Bullshit."

Aaron let out a bark of a laugh. "Emily!"

The twenty-one ear old shook her head. "It's impossible to never have seen a romantic comedy. Even if you didn't know it was a romantic comedy, it was still a romantic comedy. If there is romance and laughter, then it falls in that category."

"I still don't think I've seen one."

Emily glared up at the older man as she let her publicist take the script she had been studying from her hands. "You're lying. Do you lie a lot? Is this some kind of sickness you have?"

Aaron didn't get the chance to get out the laugh that was close to choking him when the director threw his arms around both actors.

"My beautiful Emily," he gushed, playing with the smiling woman's hair. "How are you today? Are you excited? Are you ready to explore Paris?"

"I am," the twenty-one year old nodded excitedly. "I've never been there."

The director took his arm from around the other man and knocked their elbows. "Aaron? Have you been to Europe?"

Aaron felt Emily's eyes on him and he nudged the older man back. "A few years ago," he laughed, keeping his eyes on the director and off of the younger woman. "Girlfriend dragged me."

Emily felt her heart drop into her stomach.

"Romance in Paris," the director grinned, shaking at the other man's shoulders. "Wish I had a girl that good."

The twenty-one year old let the director kiss her cheek before they walked through the gate, Emily waiting behind the other crew members and combing a few curls behind her ears. "You went to Paris with your girlfriend?" she questioned silently, smiling up to the older man as they made their way through the plane. "How romantic."

Aaron gulped. "Yeah."

"How long ago was it?"

Sitting himself down beside the younger woman and brushed his hand against hers. "A few years ago," he nodded. "I didn't like Paris that much anyway."

Emily bit back her smile when the actor intentionally kept his eyes locked with hers for a few seconds longer, and she brushed her arm against his just like he had brushed her before nodding her head. "Well it's good you're spending a few months there then," the younger woman joked.

"Exactly right!" he proclaimed, grinning when he got Emily to laugh.

Hearing their pilot come over the intercom, the actress plugged her headphones into her cell phone and handed a bud to the man on her left. "Want to listen?"

Aaron smiled to the twenty-one year old and set a curl behind her ear before taking the bud. "Girly songs?"

"More than ninety percent," she chuckled. "Very girly."

They touched down hours later with the night sky dark above them. Emily let her costar help her from the plane with their hands locked together, her grin shining brighter than the stars he saw above her.

She was beautiful.

"Hey!"

Aaron frowned, taking his headphones off and walking to his hotel room's door. The hotel was right near the Eiffel Tower and completely beautiful, covered in gold and accented with bronze sculptures everywhere.

Emily waved to the older man through the peephole. "We have rooms right next to each other!"

The actor laughed as he opened the door. "Is that why you're banging on my door?"

"Yes," she answered without a thought, grabbing his hand and tugging him out of the room. "Let's get dinner."


	4. Chapter 4

Letting the hair stylist fluff out her curls before she got ready to straighten them, Emily pulled her makeup artist closer to her and showed him the picture she pulled up on her phone. "How cute is she?"

Antonio laughed at the picture of the dog wearing a birthday hat before tilting his client's chin up. "Very cute, bellisima. You miss her, don't you?" Every time they were away on set, the actress would show him pictures of her puppy Butterscotch, and every time Antonio would try to get her mind off the subject, she'd pout.

"Of course," she said softly, grinning at another photo of her beagle before putting her phone down so Antonio could draw on her eyeliner. "She's my baby."

"I'm sure she misses you too," the Italian man nodded, patting the young woman's cheek. "But now you should go on and learn your lines."

The it was: the pout.

Antonio bumped his brush against the twenty-one year old's lip and shook his head. "Don't pout at me, bella," he chuckled, turning around to get a darker palate for the brunette's eyes. "Too pretty to pout."

"I'm allowed to pout," she hissed, sticking her tongue out at the man who had been with her on every set she'd ever been on. "I miss my puppy."

Aaron sat himself down in the chair beside the actress and smiled. "You have a dog?"

Emily's eyes flickered over to the older man and she smiled shyly. Why did he have to see her when she was getting ready? "She's three," the beautiful girl nodded, handing her phone to her costar so he could see. "Her name is Butterscotch."

"Adorable," the older man commented, flipping through the images. "I had a German Sheppard a while back but he passed away."

Emily bit her lip. "You can always come over to see my dog." She winked at him when he turned to look at her. "Cuddle with her whenever you want."

"I'll be sure to do that."

Antonio watched as his client blushed under the new actor's gaze, and he turned her head so she could see his glaring eyes. "Pucker, bella."

Aaron flipped through the newspaper on his lap as the new hairdresser began his hair, trying his best to keep his eyes off of the beautiful young woman. "Do you want to practice our scene before we start filming?" They had a good four hours before they would actually have the entire scene set and cameras ready, and they'd be done with hair and makeup and costume fittings before they were even close to ready.

"Of course," she said as best she could, her eyes hard on the makeup artist who was holding her lips hostage and he painted a gentle pink lipstick on them.

Thirty minutes later, Emily was letting her hairdresser fix her headband as the skirt she wore was finished being tailored. "This isn't a Catholic girl thing, right?" she laughed out loud, sharing a smile with the woman pinning her hem. "We're not fulfilling any fantasies out there?"

"Emily? We're ready for you."

The twenty-one year old thanked the women around her before hurrying out of the trailer to the small garden where she and Aaron were to have their first scene.

"Emily," the director called, overseeing the cameraman test the zoom on the camera set on the dolly. "You have thirty minutes before we start."

Emily smiled to her costar when she sat down, opening up the notebook she was given to start to write. "Ready?"

"As long as you're ready," Aaron grinned.

Her jaw dropped when a gust of wind blew her hair over her shoulders.

Aaron frowned when he saw the hair stylist grimace from behind the director, and he reached over to brush the brunette's straightened locks behind her ears. "Better?"

She felt his fingers brush her cheeks and her eyes flickered up, meeting those of the older man. "Yes," she whispered, smiling her best smile when she felt Aaron's eyes soften on her. "Thanks."


	5. Chapter 5

"Leanna," the older man whispered, elbows on his desk as he leaned forward.

Emily shivered at the look she saw in her costar's eyes. "Sir, I'm sorry if I've crossed a line." Shaking her head, she brushed a strand of her straightened ebony hair behind her ear. "I didn't mean to upset you."

He paused before his hand unclasped from his other and it laid upon his student's. "You could never upset me."

"CUT!"

Emily took in a breath before returning the grin Aaron was shooting her. "You did great," she smiled, her heart stopping when his thumb rubbed over her skin before he finally let it go.

"So did you."

She leaned her hip against the desk as the first AD got someone to work on a lighting problem, and she picked at her nails.

Aaron frowned. "Are you ok?"

Emily's head popped up. "What?" Glancing down to her nails, she quickly nodded to the older man. "Oh I'm fine," she blushed, her dark eyes connecting with his as he smiled. "I just kind of get bored when we have to wait around for the next scene." She learned when filming a movie, ninety percent of the time she was waiting for the crew to set up.

"How about we play a game?"

The twenty-one year old chuckled. "What do you want to play?"

Aaron shrugged. "I've been told I'm a pretty good twenty questions player," he nodded with a grin. "Want to challenge me?"

Fighting back her smile, Emily walked around the prop and sat herself down on the mahogany desk, her legs dangling beside the older man. "Now are we betting here or is it just for fun?"

"What's the fun of a game if there's no bet?" He smirked up to the beautiful actress and batted his hand against hers. "If I guess what you're thinking in less than twenty questions, I get to cuddle with your dog when the film is finished."

Emily could hear her laugh echo off the walls of the set. "Ok," the twenty-one year old grinned, letting the actor give her a high five. "And if I guess yours in less questions than you guess mine, I get to pick what you wear to the premiere."

Aaron's eyes widened.

"High stakes," she nodded, crossing her legs so her small heel clicked against one of the desk drawers. "Still want to play?"

The new actor sat back. "You think you're going to scare me off, Prentiss?"

Martha looked up from her emails and caught sight of the two main actors sitting closer than they had not a minute before.

"How could I scare you off?" she questioned lightly, batting her big brown eyes innocently at the older man. "I'm just a young girl and you're a big strong man."

Aaron tried his best not to laugh at the way the brunette's beautiful lips pouted.

Leaning back on one hand, the brunette woman smiled. "So is it a bet?"

"Of course."

She let him shake her hand before she sat herself up. "Ok, go."

Aaron studied her, his eyes watching as the corners of her lips turned up in excitement as she waited for him to start. "Is it a person?"

"Yes."

"Is it a woman?"

Emily bit her lip. "Yes."

The older man chuckled at the look his costar was giving him. "An actress?"

Emily frowned. "Can I quit?"

"I'm going to take that as a yes," Aaron laughed loudly, sitting up so the hair dresser could fix a fly away she saw. "Is she extremely well known?" Taking in her nod, he held up a finger. "With all generations?"

The twenty-one year old frowned. "I believe so."

"Meryl Streep."

Emily's jaw dropped open. "That is such bullshit," she breathed, grinning at the laughing man before reaching forward and slapping at his hand. "You couldn't have known that."

Aaron shook his head. "But I guessed it."

"You cheated." He couldn't have gotten it right with only three guesses.

The actor gave his friend a good natured roll of the eyes as he sat up in his chair. "I'm not a psychic, Emily. I promise you."

"So I have to get it in four guesses?"

Aaron shrugged. "You could just give up now and let me win. All I'd get would be a cuddle session with your dog, but if you end up winning it could hurt a lot of people."

The younger brunette giggled and shook her head. "How would it hurt people?"

"Well their eyes would burn, for one thing."

Snorting, Emily went in to slap at Aaron's shoulder before her hand was grabbed by the older man. Her eyes flew up to those of the new friend she had made and she gulped, her throat all of a sudden dry. "Rude."

He could hear the small catch in her voice, and he held her hand a moment longer before setting it down on the desk. "I think it's fair." Leaning back in his chair, Aaron crossed his arms. "Your turn."

Two minutes later the crew members hurried to pick up their things from the floor and scurry to the sides of the halls, watching Aaron chase a laughing America's sweetheart through the set. "You cheated!" he screamed, jumping over a bucket in the middle of the floor before the beautiful woman ran out into the cold city of Paris. "You cheated!"


	6. Chapter 6

Knocking on the younger girl's hotel room door, Aaron frowned. They had been working almost every hour of every day for the past two weeks and no one had gotten much downtime except for when they went back to their rooms to sleep, but tonight the new actor wanted to spend some time with his costar. He liked her; Emily was a one of a kind girl, and she always knew how to make him smile.

When he didn't hear her answer from the other side of the door, he noticed it was ajar, and he quickly let himself in. "Emily? Emily, you can't leave your door unlocked."

She didn't even look up from the movie she was watching. "Sorry."

It was pitch black, except for the light coming off the television and lighting up the twenty-one year old's face. Locking the door behind him, the brunette man invited himself to the edge of her hotel bed. "Is everything alright?" She was uncharacteristically quiet.

Emily's tongue came out to lick at the corner of her mouth. "I'm fine." Her throat was dry and it made her voice crack, and that caused her eyes to tear.

"Emily?"

She finally looked up to the older man beside her bed and she scooted over, letting him sit himself down against her pillows.

Aaron kept himself quiet, sitting atop the covers as Emily got herself warm underneath, and his eyes never left her.

"I shouldn't be crying," she scolded herself, shaking her head as she wiped her tears away with the tips of the pads of her fingers. "It's stupid."

"It can't be stupid if you're crying."

Emily sniffled, snuggling back into the pillows she had put around her, and she slowly shook her head. She didn't want her eyes to leave the TV; the mascara tracks were probably down to her chest by now. "My parents are getting a divorce."

Aaron felt his chest tighten at the sight of her start to cry harder. "Emily, I'm so sorry."

She was quick to shake her head, the twenty-one year old shrunk back into her covers. "It's fine," she hiccupped, barely able to shake her head before she found herself in the hold of the older man.

And she broke down.

Emily grasped the shirt he wore, practically clawing at the material as she sobbed, and she let him smooth down her wet hair from the shower she had taken to try and relax herself.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, finally noticing that there was no sound coming from the TV; he could only hear her sobs. "Calm down."

Emily slapped at his arm. "How can you say that?"

Aaron tried not to smile at the feeble attempt to hurt him as he laid her down against the pillows. "I don't want you sick," the brunette man whispered, bringing her closer to him and kissing her forehead.

She took in a deep breath and looked up to the ceiling, watching as the lights from the TV flashed against the white paint. "I can't believe it."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He shrugged. "Maybe go over lines to get your mind off of it?"

The twenty-one year old sniffled. "I want to hug my dog."

He pouted, and brushed his fingers up and down the beautiful girl's bare arm. "You can hug me if you want."

Emily wanted to laugh, but instead just curled into the older man's hold and cried. She cried until she could barely feel her heart beating in her chest and until she knew she had used Aaron's entire shirt as a tissue, and slowly she fell asleep in his arms, unaware of the gentle kisses he would press to her head as she breathed.


	7. Chapter 7

Watching the younger brunette pick at her breakfast in the seat beside him, the new actor held tightly onto his fork. "How are you feeling?"

"Shitty."

Aaron frowned when the twenty-one year old let her fork fall from her hand and clank against the plate before she picked up her bottle of water. "We can always ditch this place and go back to bed."

Snorting, Emily looked up and gave her friend a sad smile. "And put all of these people out of a job?" she questioned, feeling her hair dresser start to curl her ebony locks. If they were to miss a day of filming, the actors would cost production millions of dollars.

"Of course!" The older man turned and waved off the crew members bustling around them. "You're all off today! No one's needed. Ms. Prentiss deserves a relaxation day," he announced, to the men and women, hearing a gentle laugh from his friend echo over his booming voice. "But we thank you for your time!"

Emily leaned over to the older brunette in the other makeup chair and laid her hand on his.

"So are you ready to get out of here?"

The twenty-one year old bit her lip. "As much as I'd love to, we have some pretty important scenes to film today."

Aaron let her play with the tips of his fingers before she set both her hands in her lap to flip through her script. "Emily?"

She glanced up, and he could see that light he had loved to see sparkle in her eyes trying its best to pop up and show itself to him.

"Would you like to go to dinner with me?"

Antonio made eye contact with the other makeup artist, pursing his lips so he wouldn't make a sound and ruin the moment.

Batting her lashes, Emily gently sat back in her chair. "Are you going to steal the check from me like last time?"

"Absolutely."

Emily chuckled, licking the corner of her mouth as Antonio brushed blush along her cheeks before nodding her head. "Ok. But only if I get to pick the restaurant," she challenged.

He reached over his chair and stuck his hand out to the younger girl. "Shake on it."

She grinned. "Deal."

Antonio batted his blush brush on their hands to get his client to sit back in her seat. "Enough, lovebirds," he sneered, grinning when Emily shot him a glare. "I need to finish this before my palette goes dry."

"Such a diva," Emily huffed, sharing a grin with her costar before letting her makeup artist finish up his job.

Later that evening, after they had finally finished shooting the break up scenes between the two characters, Aaron was leading the beautifully dressed movie star through the cameras and fans on the street and into the car he had waiting. "I think we're going to have to stop going out in public," he said, sounding as serious as he could as Emily's jaw dropped open. "You're too famous for me."

"Oh is that it?" She readjusted the sleeves of her jacket and flipped her curls over her shoulder. "Well then I suggest you get out of the car. I'm on my way to a very extravagant French restaurant and I'm sure there will be cameras waiting."

"Out of the car? While it's moving?" The older brunette gestured to the suit he was wearing. "Do you know how much this costs?"

Emily laughed loudly in the backseat of the car, her eyes quickly moving to the flashes she saw outside her window. "We're here already?" It had only been about five minutes. "We could have just walked here," she laughed.

"And be bombarded for blocks?"

The twenty-one year old let him take her hand and help her from the car. She smiled when he held the door open for her and blushed when he put a hand to her back to guide her to their table, and she forced herself not to fluster like an idiot when he pulled out her chair and slid it back into the table once she had sat down.

He was the perfect gentleman.

The night was beautiful and he had forced her to tell him how she felt about what was happening in her family, and during dessert he had put his chair beside hers and held her hand.

Emily looked up to him as he drank his water.

She liked him.

Glancing down to the beautiful young woman he had beside him, Aaron tightened his hand around hers and let his eyes connect with hers. "Would you like to take a walk with me?"

America's sweetheart felt her stomach tighten into a knot as she nodded.

The older man led her out the back door of the restaurant, once he had graciously paid the check, so there were no photographers to swarm them and follow them to where he wanted to take the beautiful brunette. Feeling it begin to drizzle, Aaron shed his suit jacket and covered both their heads. "Let's play twenty questions."

Emily could have laughed. "Now?"

"Do you think it's a nice night?"

The twenty-one year old leaned into the older man's side as they walked through the rain, her heels clicking in the puddles. "Yes."

Aaron nodded, leading them toward an antique looking lamp post on a near corner. "Do you think I did this all tonight just to be friendly?"

Emily gulped, stopping her stride and staring up to the new actor.

"Do you know how badly I want to kiss you?"

He was panting hard and she could see his breath in the cold air, and all Emily could do was clench the material of his shirt before he pressed his lips to hers.


	8. Chapter 8

Feeling her heart flutter in her chest as she closed her door on the older man, Emily held her hand over her mouth. She felt as if her lips were burning, her eyes stinging and her stomach jumping up into her throat.

Aaron had kissed her.

She plopped herself into the edge of her bed and gulped. It wasn't as if the twenty-one year old didn't want him to kiss her; she had thought about that a few times. Aaron was sweet and thoughtful, and he was so handsome. The actor had done his best to become her friend and bet here for her, and now he had kissed her.

But he had a girlfriend.

Emily quickly took off her dress and jewelry before sprinting into the bathroom. Throwing on the hottest setting of her shower, Emily stripped off her stockings and underwear, and stepped underneath the spray.

She felt the water burn and sting her skin, but she kept herself underneath the spray.

He had kissed her, but she had kissed him back.

Emily breathed in, the steam filling her lungs. She had always been seen as a good girl; someone others could count on and one they could go to so she could help them with their problems. Now she was starting one?

She couldn't break up a relationship.

An hour later, the actress slipped on one of her silk nighties so it wouldn't rub and irritate her now scrubbed off skin. She slipped into bed and shut off the bedside lamp, sitting against the headboard and listening to the television from Aaron's room right next door.

The next day, Aaron wasn't able to take his eyes off of the beautiful young woman he was falling for. She hadn't said a word to him yet that day, barely a word to anybody, and at the moment he was watching her take a nap in her chair as they finished up her hair. She had come in a few minutes late looking completely exhausted, bags under her eyes and tiny wrinkles around the corners of her mouth.

She was a wreck.

"Emily?"

The twenty-one year old slowly opened her eyes, keeping her gaze straight on the mirror so she wouldn't have to look at the older man. She was scared.

"Would you like to go over our lines?"

Emily snorted, finally turning to look at the older man. "What lines?" Today was their sex scene.

Aaron met the eyes of his new friend's makeup artist and watched as he nodded his head down to the actress who gripped her water bottle tight in her hand. She wasn't going to have a good day, and it was his job to try and make it better. "Can I get you anything?"

"Yeah," she immediately nodded, reluctantly letting his eyes meet his as she gestured to him with her water bottle. "Can you find me some Advil or something?" After not being able to be lulled to sleep by his television the night before, Emily had chugged two full glasses of wine to get herself tired enough to finally close her eyes.

"Of course."

She watched him practically run off, and Emily sat herself back in her chair and sighed.

"Sending him on a goose chase, are you bellisima?"

Emily smirked, fingering the silk robe she was wearing in preparation for her scene. "I just feel like being alone today."

Antonio frowned. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," she shrugged, lifting her chin and looking up to the ceiling so he could finish up her mascara. "Just one of those days, you know?"

The Italian man chuckled. "Tell yourself that, bella."

Twenty minutes later, Aaron watched his costar walk onto set with her agent by her side. He sat himself down on the edge of the bed that was made for their scene and kept his eye on her as she moved, watching her swallow the pills he had gotten her before shedding her robe, her hair stylist coming up behind her and musing her curls.

She was beautiful.

Emily gave a timid smile as she walked onto the set, hearing the director getting everyone ready. "Hey."

Aaron nodded. "Are you feeling better?"

"I will soon."

"Alright!" the director called, standing from his seat and stepping in front of the cameras. "Remember, this is your first time. Not too hard, but you're also eager. Aaron, you want to touch her delicately, alright?"

The new actor gave the director of the film a nod of approval. "Are you ready?"

Emily gently nodded her head, stepping between the older man's legs and setting her hands to his strong shoulders. She was wearing a beautiful matching set, her bra and panties a silky black lace that definitively contrasted against her creamy skin.

"Action!"

Aaron lifted his head, staring into those beautiful brown eyes the younger girl possessed. "Leanna," he purred, his hands moving from her hips and running his fingers through the ends of her curled hair.

She let him pull her down, her body straddling his. "I'm scared," the actress whispered, her eyes fluttering closed as the older man's nose brushed against hers.

"I promise to take care of you."

Emily found herself rolled under the actor as they kissed, her freshly shaved legs brushing against the dress pants he wore. "Steven?" Her lips parted, Aaron's lips leaving hers and trailing down her neck. "Steven please."

Aaron made sure the camera was before them before his fingers trailed down her stomach, feeling Emily's skin shiver underneath his touch, before they danced across her crotch.

"Cut!"

The twenty-one year old's head flew back and smacked against the mattress, her breathing heavy as she looked over to the cameras.

"One more take, alright?"

Aaron noticed Emily training her eyes on anything or anyone else in the room other than him, and he leaned down. "Emily," he whispered in her ear. "Look at me."

She gulped, her hands on his arms falling softly and cupping his elbows as she looked up to him.

"You look beautiful."

Emily let him kiss her just below her ear, hidden from the crew that surrounded him, and she shook her head as she looked away.


	9. Chapter 9

Running a brush through her dark hair, Emily looked to her reflection in the vanity mirror she sat before. She had to face the older man eventually. Sure she had worked with him all day, their scenes the most intimate they'd ever been, but she had barely said a handful of words to him.

She was almost embarrassed. Aaron had a girlfriend, and here she was falling for him.

A knock at her door, the twenty-one year old stood and pulled her robe closed, her skirt and blouse she wore to the set that day underneath it because she was almost ready for her shower. But because the heat in her room wasn't working that day, she couldn't just walk around in her underwear as she usually would. Walking over to the door, Emily moved her hair from her eyes and looked out the peephole.

Aaron.

Emily sucked in a breath, looking to the older man through the peephole. He was dressed in slacks and a dress shirt, his hair combed back. He looked handsome. "Hey," she breathed.

Looking up at the voice of his costar, the brunette man frowned. "Hey. Can I come in?"

"I'm not dressed," she lied, her fingers pressing into the wood of her hotel room door. "What is it?"

Aaron fiddled with his wallet in his hands. "I was wondering if you were hungry."

Biting her lip, Emily gently undid the lock on her door and opened it just enough so she could stick her head out. "You didn't eat yet?" she questioned softly, pulling her robe around her tighter. "It's pretty late." The last time she checked the clock, it was just past nine.

"Have you eaten?"

The actress rested her hip against the doorframe, her eyes meeting the older man's as she shook her head. "No," she whispered.

Smiling smally to the younger brunette, knowing how she must have been feeling because of what had happened between them, he showed her his wallet.

"Two expensive dinners two nights in a row?" Smiling to the actor, Emily felt her heart jump in her chest. "Must be special."

Aaron's eyes darkened on America's sweetheart. "You are," he agreed, his voice hitting a chord in the younger woman as a shiver ran down her spine.

Slowly standing straight, Emily ran a hand through her hair. "I'll be changed in two minutes," the twenty-one year old said softly, closing the door on the older man and tiptoeing back across her room and to her closet to pick out an outfit. Maybe he wanted to talk: apologize for what he'd done or maybe explain to her why what had happened had happened and how they'd get through it.

She paused on a red blouse, her fingers trailing along the silk.

Maybe he really liked her.

Slipping on a pair of heels and ripped jeans, she buttoned the second to last button to the top of her blouse before walking back to her door. "Ready." She let him set a hand to the small of her back after she had slipped on her coat, and they made their way down to the lobby.

Emily hid her smile at the sight of a car waiting behind the loads of paparazzi outside the hotel's doors. "So you knew I'd say yes?" she asked, sharing a look with the older man as they walked outside.

"I was hoping." Aaron opened the car door for the actress, sharing a nervous smile with her as the photographers yelled to get a picture. "Hope you like French food."

Emily snorted, sitting back in her seat as Aaron got in after her. "Funny."

They were quiet on the way there, Emily doing her best to stay calm in the presence of the intimidating older man and Aaron not wanting to startle the actress with what he was feeling for her. If he were to open his mouth, he knew he'd say something that he'd regret or make them both uncomfortable.

Ten minutes later, the car stopped and Aaron held the door open for the younger woman, his hand held out to take hers.

Emily let him grip her hand as she stood from the car, her smile directed at the fans she saw running toward her from a shop down the road.

The new actor let her slip from his hold as he shut the car door. He watched as she let the girls hug her and take a few pictures, one of them even pulling out a journal for Emily to sign. She was very sweet even though she'd been famous for so many years, and it surprised Aaron again and again the time she'd take for others when she could use it all on herself.

Leaving the few fans who came to her with a wave, Emily slipped into the restaurant with Aaron by her side. "Thank you," she smiled to the waiter as he pulled her chair out for her, and she laid her jacket on the back of her chair before she sat.

Aaron let her order their drinks as he fiddled with the box in his pocket. He had never been so nervous. "So," he started quietly, watching as the actress' eyes flickered up to him from the napkin she set in her lap. "How are your parents?"

The twenty-one year old flicked her tongue over her two front teeth. "Still getting divorced."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I know how upset you were about it."

Emily nodded her head, smiling to the waiter when he brought their water. "I'm getting better," she said softly. "My dad called me the other day to talk me through it. I think it's hitting me harder than it is them."

Aaron's brow raised. "Yeah," the actor sighed. "I remember that feeling. My parents got divorced when I was twelve, my brother was eight."

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head to signal the end of that topic, and he took a big gulp of his water. "I wanted to talk about the other night."

Emily's head bowed. "I'd rather not," she almost whispered, suddenly interested in the design of the napkin she'd laid in her lap. Anything to save her from the embarrassment of this conversation was what she needed.

"Emily, I'm not going to say I'm sorry."

The actress looked up, her dark eyes peeking through her straightened strands of hair. "What?"

Aaron met her eyes and shook his head. "I don't regret what happened," he stated slowly, making sure she understood everything he was saying. "I like you."

Emily felt her throat begin to close as she gulped. "You have a girlfriend."

"I do," he agreed, hating himself for feeling this way. "I have for a long time. But I've never felt the way I feel for you for her." Aaron's eyes bore into those stinging ones of the younger woman sitting at the other end of the table. He could see she felt...was it nervous or uncomfortable?

The twenty-one year old batted her lashes to try and rid the tears form her eyes, and she set her elbows on the table, her chin on her clasped hands.

"I have something for you."

Emily sat straight in her chair as she watched the older man take a box from his pants pocket, and with wide eyes she looked to the other actor and shook her head. "What is that?"

Aaron noticed the fear and quickly held out a hand. "No, no! It's not a ring," he laughed, every hair he had on his body standing on end from his nerves. "But it's close."

The brown eyed beauty reached forward and took the box, flipping it open just as a new waitress came to pour their wine. "Aaron," she breathed, eyes glued to the shining diamond necklace lying in the velvet of the box.

Standing from his seat, the actor took the necklace from its box and laid it on his palm so the younger woman could see it a bit better. "Emily, I really do like you."

Her head shook in disbelief. The diamond was at least two carats. It would have cost him a fortune.

"I know you're scared," he whispered, kneeling to the ground and settling his free hand on her knee. "But I like you."

Emily's eyes watered as she looked into the older man's eyes. "We barely know each other," the actress shrugged, thanking God that the waiter had led them to a private room so no one could see their interaction. If they did this, they'd have to keep it quiet for a while.

Aaron ran his fingers through the ends of the younger brunette's hair, his thumb brushing along her cheek. "Emily, will you give me a chance? Will you go out with me?"

Wanting to lighten the mood, America's sweetheart tried for a watery smile. "We're already out," she joked, biting the inside of her cheek as the other actor broke in to laughter. "Yes," she whispered once he had quieted back down, her fingers brushing the hand that cupped her cheek. "I'd like that."

Standing, Aaron waited until Emily moved her hair from her neck so he could clasp the necklace. His hands ran down her neck and over her shoulders once the necklace was on, and he rested his cheek against hers from his spot behind her chair. "You're beautiful."

Emily turned her head to let him gently peck her lips, and she smiled.

He made her feel beautiful.


	10. Chapter 10

Reaching across the small table that separated them, the dark haired actor paid attention to only the actress who sat staring at him instead of the cameras that bombarded their faces, and he set a dark curl behind the younger woman's ear.

Emily shyly looked up from the papers before her that were to act as her homework and let her teeth sink slowly into the skin of her bottom lip.

Their eyes met and Emily could feel her heart racing. It wasn't the two characters in this moment - they were Emily and Aaron.

"You're so smart," the older man complimented, his hand falling slightly for his fingers to caress the skin of the twenty-one year old's blushing skin of her cheek. "My brightest student."

Emily's doe eyes blinked. "Thank you," she whispered.

"And so beautiful."

Letting out a nervous laugh just as she was supposed to, the actress glanced back down to the textbook open in front of her. "That's not true."

"It isn't?" Aaron leaned into the younger woman and watched as her eyes widened. He could hear her breath quickening as he brushed his fingers along her skin. "I think it is."

"Cut!"

Emily leaned away from the other actor and laughed, reaching her hand back to take the high five her manager came up to give her. "Nice take," she complimented her coworker, itching her head just beside the barrette she wore.

Aaron watched the brunette with keen eyes as her assistant immediately came up and started showing her the emails she had missed while working that scene for just under an hour. He noticed the twenty-one year old's nose twitching as she took the phone and quickly started replying to the messages.

The brunette's eyes popped open when Aaron's fingers captured the tip of her nose. "What the fuck?" she laughed, feeling the small nails he had scratching lightly at the itch she had.

"Saw you needed help."

She pretended to bite at his fingers and laughed when he quickly took his hand back. "Thank you," the brunette snorted. "Hey, do you want to get lunch?" she asked in a quieter tone, her eyes away from her phone to meet his.

Aaron frowned slightly. "We usually get lunch delivered."

"Yeah," she nodded slowly. Leaning her elbows on the set table, Emily smiled softly to the older man. "But maybe we could go out?"

The older man shared a smile with the actress and let her barely stroke her finger over his. "Sure. Let me go change."

Emily quickly nodded her head and watched her new boyfriend - fling? - leave the set and move back through the studio to go out to his trailer.

"Emily."

America's Sweetheart stood from her chair and smiled to her makeup artist. "Hey," she grinned, following him to the chair and sitting down so he could fix her liner. "What are you doing the rest of the day?"

"The question is what are _you_ doing?"

Emily frowned. "What do you mean?"

Antonio closed the younger brunette's eyes as he retouched her top liner. "Darling, you and that pretty boy actor cannot be a thing."

Her makeup artist's accent didn't soften the blow he threw at her. "What do you mean?"

"He has a girlfriend, bella."

Emily's eyes fluttered open once he finished and she looked up to him. "I know that," she said softly, keeping her eyes still as he reapplied her mascara. "There's nothing going on." She knew that if they wanted to see each other, they had to stay quiet.

The older man frowned.

She took the magazine he pulled out from the basket beside their makeup chairs and looked at the picture of her and Aaron on the front page.

His hand was on her hip as he led her into that beautiful French hotel they had gone to just weeks before.

_Emily Prentiss and Mystery Man: Dinner on the Seine._

Emily handed the magazine back to the foreign man and softly shook her head. "He has a name," she whispered, hating that Aaron wasn't being respected. Feeling the gaze from the artist, Emily huffed and sat up in her chair. "It's nothing."

"Bellisima, you better be careful. Men are not to toy with and neither are you. This is very serious."

"It didn't say we're dating," she spoke up quickly. "And we're not."

Antonio shook his head. "You know better than that, bella. You cannot get away with a lie with me."

Emily shoved his hand away from her face as he went to do her blush and she stood, storming away from the makeup chairs and mirrors.

"You'll find out, bella!" he called after her.

The twenty-one year old ran toward her trailer and slammed the door behind her. He wanted to be with her, Emily knew that. Aaron wouldn't have done the things he did if that wasn't the case.

Fingering the necklace on the coffee table, Emily's eyes grew sad.

But what did it really mean?

Slowly standing once more, the actress walked back out into the sun and made her way to Aaron's trailer. Once up the first two steps, Emily stopped, hearing Aaron on the other side of the door.

"I know Haley. I know," he sighed, "we should be done filming in a few weeks."

Emily leaned her hand against the trailer door as she listened in.

"I love you too."

Eyes watering at the words she heard, she stepped down the trailer stairs, her eyes meeting those of her makeup artist across the lot. Wiping the tears she knew were dampening her cheeks, Emily sniffled and turned her head, running back to her trailer and falling into her bed to cry.


End file.
